Diogo Jota and Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has addressed the controversy surrounding his absence from Portugal teammate Diogo Jota‘s funeral, who died in a car accident in Spain in July. The explanation came during an interview with Piers Morgan on his YouTube show.Ronaldo clarified that his decision to skip the funeral was based on respect rather than indifference. He expressed concern that his presence would have disrupted the solemnity of the occasion.“Two things; people criticise me a lot. I don’t care about that. When your conscience is good and free, you don’t have to worry about what people say. But one of the things I don’t do? After my father died, I have never been to a cemetery again.”“When you know me and you know my reputation? Wherever I go, it is a circus. I don’t go out because, if I go, the attention goes to me. I don’t want this sort of attention.”“I don’t like it when you go to a sensitive moment to do interviews, to speak about him, to speak about football. C’mon guys, what is this? This shows how life is a circus sometimes. I am not a part of that. If you want to be a part of this world, good luck, but I will be a part of another side. People can continue to criticise. I felt good with my decision.”Following Jota’s death, Ronaldo shared his condolences on social media platform X. He expressed his shock at the loss of his teammate who had recently married.The football community was deeply affected by Jota’s sudden passing at the age of 27. The forward had represented Portugal 49 times since making his national team debut in 2019.Jota had established himself as a crucial player for Liverpool, contributing 65 goals and 26 assists in 182 appearances after joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020. His performances helped Liverpool secure two Premier League titles, including the 2024-25 season championship.The Portuguese forward’s impact on both club and international level made his untimely death particularly difficult for teammates and fans alike.